The Sky Above
by Maripics
Summary: Kate and Rick are a family now. Alongside their infant son, James, and their friends, they'll navigate through the difficulties and joys of married life. This fic takes place a year and a half after 'Always'. AU.
1. In My Life

Chapter 1: In My Life

Rick entered the dark room, eyes shut. He hears soft sobs, turning lower every second. There's soothing music playing, and he seems to get sleepier as he walks towards the white wooden crib. His heart races when he can't see his son.

"James?" He shouted, panicked. It didn't cross his mind that even if he was listening, he wouldn't answer.

"Rick?" Kate asked, turning on the lamp on the nightstand. She caresses her son's back softly, as if to assure him that everything was okay "What are you doing?"

"I heard Jamie and came to see if he was okay." He rubbed his eyes while walking slowly towards Kate and their son, who were sitting on the blue glider. "I didn't know you'd be up here already." He squatted next to the glider. "I'm usually the one waking up with him at night." Rick examined both Kate and James carefully. Kate was sitting in a lotus position, and James was lying comfortably on the top of her thigh, his bright green eyes wide open. "How did you hear him before I did?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was up here trying to find my old copy of Jane Eyre when he cried." Kate shook her body to create a slow movement for James.

"Jane Eyre, huh? I think my copy is downstairs if you want it." Rick got up to find a burp cloth, knowing Kate would need it soon. He looked through drawers, boxes and even the crib before realizing all the burp cloths were downstairs. "I'm going to grab a burpie. I'll be right back."

"Rick… Don't go." Kate said, her voice breaking. She reached out for his arm.

"Kate, what's wrong?" Rick grabbed her hand. He knew what it was. It was January 9th. Kate seemed fine through the day, but Rick knew how much she was struggling to stay strong.

"Just stay here, okay?" Kate's eyes were filled with tears. James was now fussy, making Kate's grip tighten around his tiny body. "Let's just stay here for a minute." She said, tears rolling down her face. Rick could see she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were red and her top was wet.

"Okay. I'm here." Rick sat next to them, crossing his legs. He knew better than saying anything, so the three of them just sat there in silence.

...

Kate was changing James' outfit when Rick came inside the nursery, holding a large book.

"I found it!" Rick placed the book next the little boy, who was laughing at Kate's funny faces. James was wearing an onesie that said "My Auntie Rocks", dark wash jeans and dinosaur slippers. His giggles made Rick smile.

"Thanks!" Kate said, lifting up James from the changing table. She tickled his belly for a second and handed him to Rick.

"Is Lanie coming to visit today?" Rick said, reading the sentence on James' onesie.

"Uh… No. I just wasn't in the mood to pick an outfit so I just grabbed the first thing I saw." She answered, while flipping the pages of the book. "I gotta go. Esposito called, a body dropped earlier today. But I'll be back for dinner, okay?"

"Dinner? It's 8 am!" Rick said, confused.

"Blame it on Gates. The woman is insane." Kate asked, with a high-pitched voice she only used when angry.

"Okay." Rick held James close to his chest, placing a kiss on his head.

"I'll see you two later." Kate gave both Rick and James a kiss and stormed out the door.

"Okay, Jamie." Rick held the little boy up to his eye level. "How about we go and watch 'The Wiggles'? Rick took James' spit up as a yes and went to the living room.

…

It was a little over six when Rick started trying to get James ready for bed. It was dark outside and Kate hadn't even called. The worrying started getting worst as Rick's tries to put James down intensified.

"Come on, Jamie." Rick walked around the room with James on his arms "Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace, Molly is the singer in a band…"

…

Kate placed the key on the bowl and took off her shoes. It was almost nine, and when she didn't hear any noise, she assumed James was asleep and Rick was in the study. She walked up the stairs quietly. The door to the nursery was half-open, showing Kate the light coming from inside. She walked in, and saw Rick leaning over the crib, his body heavy over the rail.

"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on bra, la-la how the life goes on." Rick was singing James' favorite song quietly. By the looks of things, he'd been doing so for quite a while.

"Hey." Kate stood next to Rick, and let her hand touch his.

"Hi." Rick lifted his head, surprised. "How was your day?" He asked, sleepily.

"We can talk about it tomorrow. Let's go to bed." Kate placed her hand on James' belly "Goodnight, baby."

**Author's Note: Like? Dislike? Leave a review, please! **


	2. Strawberry Fields Forever

Chapter 2: Strawberry Fields Forever

"Kate! We're ready!" Rick yelled from the living room. James was strapped in his car seat, playing with a plush sheep. It was a chilly February morning, and they were getting ready to take a walk around the park. Despite the cold, it was a Sunday, Kate's only day off, and Rick always tried to make the best out of it.

"I'm almost ready, Castle!" Kate replied.

"You excited about going to the park, little guy?" Rick played with James' little legs. The little boy squealed with excitement, throwing the little plush lamb at Rick's face "No throwing toys at daddy, okay?" Rick started tickling James "No throwing toys! No throwing toys!" he said, with a strong voice, trying to sound angry.

"Okay, let's go." Kate finished tying her hair back in a high bun. "What are you doing?" She directed her eyes to Rick, who was rubbing the plush lamb on his face.

"Uh… Playing?" Rick said.

"Okay." Kate rolled her eyes "Come on. It's getting chillier outside." Kate opened the door and stepped outside, twirling her keys.

"Come on Jamie. It's park time!" Rick lifted the car seat from off the counter and walked to the door.

…

The walk went smoothly, with strangers occasionally stopping them to compliment the dark-haired, green eyed little boy on Rick's arms. They usually walked for more time, but Kate suggested that they sat on a bench instead.

"You tired?" Rick asked.

"No. I just want to enjoy the view." Kate answered. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes.

…

"Good afternoon, Sir." The waiter, who had a name tag that read "Garrett", said. "Madam." He smiled at them.

"Hello. We'd like a table, please." Castle said, with a smile. James was snuggled on Kate's chest, tugging on her shirt.

"Come with me." Garrett said, and walked them to a two-people table near a big glass window.

"Thanks." Kate said, smiling to him as she tried to make James sit on her lap.

"Could you bring us a highchair, please?" Castle asked politely.

"Sure. I'll be right back with the highchair and the menus." Garrett walked away slowly.

"So, did you call your mom?" Kate asked Rick, and touched his hand softly.

"No." Rick pushed her hand – and his eyes – away.

"Castle, you have to." Kate said "She wasn't to blame for what happened."

"Kate, I don't want to talk about it." He said sharply.

"Okay. But you should call her. It's not fair. Not to her, not to James. She's the only grandmother he has." Kate said sadly. At the same time, she tried to sit James on the edge of the table, supporting him with a hand.

"This subject is over." Rick told her "Now, where's Garrett with the highchair?" Rick looked around the room looking for the lost waiter.

"Sorry it took so long." Garrett showed up out of nowhere, scaring Rick. "It's been a while since we had a small child in here." Garrett placed the highchair next to Kate. "What's this cutie's name?"

"James." Kate answered.

"Okay James. Have a nice meal, you guys. Greta will be your new waiter and will be here shortly." Garrett walked away once more.

"Creepy." Rick said, goggle-eyed.

"Help me, here." Kate said, while trying to squeeze James' legs onto the highchair. Rick tickled his belly, making the boy laugh, helping Kate put his legs inside. "Done." Kate strapped James on the highchair and went back to her seat. "Now, shall we order?"

"Certainly, my dear." Rick mocked.

"I think I'll want the salmon." She set the menu back on the table. "And you?"

"Steak."

"Oh my God." Kate's eyes widened as she saw the figure of Martha Rodgers next to the wall.

"What?" Rick asked, turning his body around to see "Rats."

"Hello Richard. Katherine."

**Author's Note: Christy, thank you for your review. You have no idea how much it meant and the boost it gave me to continue this story. Please keep reading! Everyone else, do you like? Dislike? Leave a review, please! **


	3. Help!

Chapter 3: Help!

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Rick asked, annoyed.

"Don't you yell at me, Richard!" Martha said, her voice low.

"You bet I'll yell at you!" Rick got up from his chair, and stopped to face the red-haired older woman next to them "I told you not to look for us!"

"I taught you better than holding that much anger!" Martha placed her purse on the chair Rick was supposed to be sitting in. "Why can't you forgive me?"

"Forgive…" Rick's face was red with anger. Kate just looked at them, astonished. Even James seemed to notice the tension, and was moving his arms and legs fast. "Come on Kate. Let's go." Rick took James off the highchair, and moved to the door without looking back. Kate followed him shortly after, giving Martha an apologetic smile before leaving.

…

"Rick…" Kate said, looking at Rick through the rearview mirror.

"Don't. I don't want to talk about it." Rick was sitting next to James on the backseat, and showing the little boy a colorful book.

"Rick, it's been almost a month." Kate said, trying to sound as compassionate as possible. "Don't you think it's time to forgive her?" Kate asked.

"Forgive her?" Rick's voice was low, almost like if he was about to cry "Kate, she crashed her car onto a tree, with our son in the backseat!" Rick was offended. Of all people, he expected Kate to be the most affected one. It was her son, her only child, whose life was threatened. How could she be willing to just 'forgive and forget'?

"Car crashes happen all the time." Kate tried.

"Yeah, especially if the driver is drunk!" Rick yelled, causing James to cry. He softly shooshed the little boy, hoping he would calm down. "Kate, she got drunk, and went for a leap around town! With our son! Our three-month-old son sleeping on the backseat!"

"He's fine, Castle. But Martha is not. She has a problem. She needs help." Kate offered.

"Kate, she betrayed our trust. We trusted her with the most precious thing we have, and she betrayed us. She put our son's life in danger, and I can't simply forget that!" Rick's voice was still loud, but he wasn't yelling anymore. James was now bobbing his head to the sides, giggling as his head hit the car seat's edges.

"Castle, she's an alcoholic." Kate said, this time being harsher. "She needs help. She needs her family. She needs her son to forgive her and get her the help she needs."

"Kate." Rick tried to finish the conversation. It was painful to hear such things, but it was more painful to know that she was right. She was right about all of it. Martha had a drinking problem, but when she was living with Rick and Alexis, it was manageable. But with Rick living with Kate and James and Alexis away at college, there was nothing else keeping her from doing stupid things while drunk.

"Castle, listen to me!" Kate shouted. "I've been there, okay?" Kate's eyes were filled with tears "Do you think my dad never let me down 'cause of his drinking problem?" tears started rolling down her cheeks. "He did, okay?" She tried to dry her face with her sleeves "He missed so much." Kate couldn't control the tears anymore. Her face was wet and puffy, with tears rolling down freely. "I don't want the same to happen to Martha."

"I understand." Rick knew that it wasn't the moment to push her further.

"If not for her, for James." Kate could finally contain the tears "He needs her." Rick looked at the little green-eyed boy, whose eyes were almost closed. It was way past his nap time, and Rick felt a little tired himself.

"I'll call her when we get home." Rick told her.

"Thank you."

…

Rick dialed his mother's phone on his cellphone and waited for her reply. He was unsure, but he knew that Kate was right. Despite everything she'd done before, Martha was family. She was the only family he had for long, and now she needed him.

"Hello?" Martha said, her voice distant.

"Mother. It's me, Richard." Rick sighed. That was far from pleasant.

"Hello."

"Are you busy?" he asked.

"Not right now."

"Can you come over? We need to talk to you."

"So you yell at me publicly, and call me an hour later asking me to visit? Does that make any sense in your head?" Martha hissed.

"You said you wanted to be forgiven. This is your chance. Will you come?"

"I'll be there later today." Martha answered.

"Mother." Rick said "Do your best to be sober." Rick pressed the 'end call' button on his phone.

**Author's note: I'm really happy you're enjoying this story. I have more readers –and reviews- than I ever had before, which makes me believe that you learn from experience. Thank you, and please leave a review if you can. It motivates me! **


	4. Martha My Dear

**Chapter 4: Martha My Dear**

The doorbell rang later on that same afternoon. Kate called Rick, who was upstairs putting James to bed. It took Rick a few moments to go downstairs. When he did go, his whole face was tense.

"You okay?" Kate asked, even though she knew the answer to that question. That was his mother, sure, but she was also the woman who almost killed their son.

The woman who endangered their child's life. She had problems, it was perfectly clear, but who didn't? Whatever problem any adult could have, no child should pay for that. Nothing happened that day, but what if it did? No, she shouldn't think about that. She shouldn't think about what else could've gone wrong. If she did, she would never be able to forgive Martha. And someone had to. She needed someone to take her off rock bottom. She needed someone to see the Martha under all that bourbon. And so she would do. She had to hold on to the Martha who had raised the most amazing, brilliant, kind man she'd ever known. The Martha who had helped her to see the miracle James was. God, so much had changed in a year. Martha had changed so much. And they would bring her old self back. Kate grabbed Rick's hand and led him to the door. She slowly turned the handle and opened the door, which reveiled the elder woman. She was wearing a long blue dress, which contrasted beautifully with her hair and eyes. She was a stunning woman, especially for someone with such age, but her appearance revealed her problem. She had dark circles around her eyes, and her hands were shaking. She was skinnier, paler, and certainly didn't look healthy.

"Hello." She said softly. Her shaky hands held her purse and shawl.

"Hi, Martha." Kate said, sounding as cheery as she possibly could in that situtation. She elbowed Rick, knowing he would need more than a little push to be nice on that evening.

"Hello, Mother." He said, responding to Kate's no-so-subtle warning. "How are you today?"

"Fine. And you?" Martha asked, politely. She too, would have to be strong not to be rude. Rick had asked her to be sober, and it took all her strenght to do so.

"We're better now." Kate said. It was pushing it, all three of them knew it, but it didn't matter.

"So, can I come in?" Martha asked, softly. "Sure. Let's sit , and then we can talk." Kate said, smiling sweetly.

"Thank you, Katherine." The elder woman let Kate lead her way, sitting on the big burgundy couch. Kate and Rick sat on the armchairs, facing Martha.

"Martha, we want to help you." Kate paused to grab Rick's hand. "But you need to help us do that." She said.

"Okay. I'll do anything." Martha said, her eyes filling with tears.

"I have the number of the rehab clinic my dad went to.". Kate told her.

"I don't think that's necessary." Martha said. "I can take care of this."

"No mother, you can't. If you want to be back in our lives, we're more than happy to have you back. But you need to stop drinking, and it won't be easy. We can't have you as a danger to our kids. Are you willing to go?" Rick questioned. His face was a bright shade of red, and Kate tried to calm him down. There wasn't much she could do, but she was squeezing his hand and rubbing his back.

"I will." Martha cupped her face in her hands and sobbed softly. That reminded Kate of her dad, and she understood that it was hard for her as well. They had to stick together to take her out of that funk.

"Okay. I'll give them a call tomorrow. They'll probably be able to take you in on Monday, the latest." Kate said.

"Thank you. And thank you for allowing me back in your lives." Martha thanked them, and prepared herself to leave "I must go now. I have to pack, don't I?"

"You do." Kate said.

"Mother." Rick called.

"Yes?"

"You'll be alright." Rick said. He received a shy smile in return.

"You did great." Kate told him.

**Author's Note: Oh my God, guys, you're making me so happy! The nice reviews are making me so elated. Thank you all for reading, and please, continue to do so! **


	5. Don't Let Me Down

Chapter 5: Don't Let Me Down

"Ready?" Rick asked Kate, who was finishing putting her shoes on. It was the day they'd take Martha to rehab, and it was safe to say that no one was comfortable with the situation. "Alexis, are you sure it's okay for you to babysit James for today? It is your week off, you should be out having fun." Kate asked to the young girl sitting on the couch with the little boy on her lap. James was pulling her red locks of hair, giggling like if it was the funniest thing on the planet.

"I'm sure." She answered, and smiled at her. "He's my little brother. I love spending time with him. Plus, I'm sure we'll have loads of fun." Alexis kissed the top of James' head. "Aren't we, Jamie?" James waved his little hands in return. "See? Lots of fun."

"Okay, then." Kate said.

"But, pumpkin, if there's any problem…" Rick said, already opening the loft's door.

"I'll call Lanie or Jim right away." Alexis finished.

"Lanie or Jim?" Rick questioned Kate, puzzled.

"No phones are allowed inside the clinic." Kate explained "I gave Lanie a call this morning, and she's all set to come here if anything happens."

"Then we're all set." Rick smiled "Let's go."

…

"Hello, you two." Martha said, while entering the backseat of their car.

"Hi, Martha. Did you put your things on the trunk?" Kate asked, even though she knew Martha hadn't. All she brought was a duffle bag, which made Kate believe that she thought she wouldn't be there for long.

"Oh, dear. I won't need that much stuff. I brought a weekender. It should be enough." Martha answered.

"Okay. Shall we go?" Kate asked.

"Maybe you should break some laws to get us there fast." Rick answered, harshly.

"Oh, this will be hell of a roadtrip." Kate sighed.

…

The Conifer Park clinic was in Liverpool, almost five hours away from Manhattan. They'd spent most of the trip in silence, only talking when it was strictly necessary. With two bathroom breaks and quite a few snarky comments, Martha's attitude was to be expected. She had quite a few drinks before coming, and they knew it. Kate was taking it all well, but she could tell Rick was burning inside. They arrived a little after three, which seemed to be a rather lovely time to check the accommodations. They parked the car and went inside.

"Hello." The lady in the reception room said "How can I help you today?"

"Hello, uh…" Kate finally spotted her name tag, which read '_Ollie_'. "Ollie. I'm Katherine Beckett-Castle, I called in behalf of my mother-in-law a few days ago." Ollie started typing on the computer next to her.

"Okay, here it is. Kate Castle, on behalf of Martha Rodgers." Ollie looked at them. "You must be Martha." She smiled at the beautiful red-head standing in front of her. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, dear child. I wish I could say the same." She smiled back "Can we see my room now?"

Room 7 was designated to Martha. It wasn't big by any meaning, but it wasn't small either. It had a single bed, a nightstand and a small armchair.

"The common area is over here." Ollie pointed to the room with a loveseat and a couple of armchairs. It also had a TV and a small bookcase. The clinic seemed to be rather empty, which Kate pointed out.

"Where are the other patients?" Kate asked Ollie.

"We don't have many live-in patients as of right now. But we're having the group meeting right now, so all the patients are there." Ollie explained.

"Oh, okay." Kate said.

"What are the visitation rules?" Rick asked, knowing Martha would need them around as much as possible.

"Well, you can visit every day, between 10 am and 6 pm. You can't come after that, and you can't bring children." Ollie answered.

Rick nodded at her answer. He didn't intend to bring James, but it was a relief to know that he wasn't the one to make that decision.

"And when do you think I'll get released?" Martha asked, rudely.

"We don't set a time." Ollie answered calmly "Everyone has a different need, so we can't know how long it'll take to heal. It's better not rush this things." Ollie rubbed her hands together.

"I think we should go." Rick told Kate. "It's getting late and it'll take us a lot of time to get back home."

"Are you going to be okay, Martha?" Kate asked.

"Yes, darling. I'll be alright." Martha said, tenderly. She was upset to be there, but she knew in her heart that Kate and Rick only wanted the best for her.

"Okay, then. We'll come to visit as soon as possible." Kate told her "Alexis is having a week off from college, so she'll probably come along." Kate smiled.

"No." Martha said, sadly. "I don't want her to see me like that." She held Kate's left hand "Maybe when I get a little better."

"I'll tell her to wait." Kate said. "She won't like the idea, but I'm sure she'll be proud of you for trying to get better." Kate looked at Rick "We all are. In our own ways." Kate continued. "We should go now. See you soon." Kate gave Martha a hug and walked towards the door, leaving Rick and Martha alone.

"I am proud of you, Mother." Rick said "But everything is still fresh and I need more time to better understand how I feel." He said.  
"I understand." Martha told him. "You should go now. Kate is waiting for you."

"Goodbye, Mother. I'll see you in a while." Rick grabbed Kate's hand as soon as he could reach it.

"Everything okay?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. Everything is fine." He said, with a smile. Things would get better.

**Author's Note: Thank you again for the reviews and follows! You're awesome! This chapter is a long one, and I hope you like that! The Conifer Park Clinic really exists and it's a rehab center in Glenville, NY. I've never been there, so all my info is based on online research. If there's any mistake, please feel free to inform me. Please review! **


	6. I Want To Hold Your Hand

Chapter 6: I Want To Hold Your Hand

"Alexis?" Rick called from downstairs. "Where are you, pumpkin?"

"Here!" Alexis shouted from the second floor bathroom.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Rick asked, poking his head inside the bathroom.

"Just giving James a bath." Alexis answered.

"Hey, Lexi." Kate said, pushing the bathroom door to reveal a half-wet young woman and a little baby wiggling in the bathtub. "What happened?" Kate asked

"We had a little bit of a… dirty issue." Alexis answered shyly.

"Uh-oh." Rick exclaimed. "Poop bomb?"

"Ew." Alexis said. "Yeah. That's what happened."

"Sorry." Kate laughed "Those are the worst."

"I don't wanna talk about poop anymore." Alexis pouted "How's grams? Is she okay? How was the clinic? Was it too bad? Is it far?" Alexis asked.

"Oh, slow down, pumpkin!" Rick said. "Grams is okay." He paused "As okay as you can be when you're going to rehab." Alexis and Rick exchanged sympathetic smiles, while Kate was wrapping James in a hooded towel that imitated a frog "The clinic seemed fine, the staff was nice." He told her "It is very far, but it's worth the trip." He finished.

"When can I go see her?" Alexis asked them.

"She doesn't want you to go over there right now." Kate said. Alexis' face went sad "Just until she gets a little better, Lex. She doesn't want anyone else to see her like that."

"Yeah, I think that makes sense." Alexis said, sadly. "But I wish I could see her."

"Maybe in a couple of weeks. We'll go together." Kate said. "I'll go dress James. Are you guys up for dinner?"

"Sure. Pizza, maybe?" Rick suggested.

"Sure. I'll go get ready." Alexis said. "Kate, do you need help with James?"

"No, I'm cool." She answered.

…

"Oh my God! He looks so cute!" Alexis gushed when she saw James strapped in his stroller. He was wearing a striped romper, cowboy boots and a little Fedora hat. He didn't exactly match, but the kid was walking talking style. "Those little boots!"

"He does look handsome." Rick said "Aren't you handsome, little guy?" Rick tickled James' belly. "Aren't you cute?" James giggled to Rick's tickles and tried to push away his hands.

"Okay. Ready?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Rick answered.

…

The four of them arrived at Nick's Pizza around eight, and luckfully, didn't have to wait long for a table. They were sat almost immediately, and ordered right away. They ordered Alexis' favorite, a pizza with pepperoni, broccoli, and extra cheese toppings.

"So, Alexis, how's school?" Kate asked, taking a small sip of her coke. James was sitting on her lap, playing with Rick's straw.

"Good. The teachers just keep getting weirder, but it's cool. It's all part of it, I guess." Alexis answered. She used a sophomore in Columbia, majoring in Political Science. But she had recently transferred to Yale. It took her some time to figure out what she wanted to do, but once she made a decision, the girl put her heart and soul in it.

"It is. I'm glad you're liking it, pumpkin." Rick told Alexis, ruffling her hair. "It's an amazing time of your life. The friends, the parties, the se…"

"Dad!" Alexis interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"Sorry." Rick said, giving them an apologetic smile.

"Man child." Kate and Alexis said in unison.

…

"Oh, I'm so tired!" Kate exclaimed, throwing herself on the couch.

"We should definitely sleep in tomorrow." Rick said, sitting next to her.

"No can do." Kate said, putting her legs on Castle's lap. Alexis had taken James upstairs, and the night was awfully quiet at the Beckett-Castle household. It usually took Kate or Rick over and hour to get James to sleep, but Alexis could do it in less than twenty minutes. "I gotta work tomorrow, remember?" Kate closed her eyes sleeply "I'm a cop, you know?" Kate mocked.

"Crap. I forgot." Rick said.

"So I'm assuming we don't have a babysitter for tomorrow." Kate said, opening her eyes to face Rick "And papa Castle will stay home."

"I guess." He said.

"Well, I'm going to bed. I expect to be bright and shiny tomorrow." Kate said, standing up. "You coming?"

"In a little while. I'm just going to see if Alexis needs help putting James to bed." He said, getting up from the couch "Good night, love." Rick planted a kiss on Kate's lips and walked towards the staircase.

"You too." Kate answered, and went inside their bedroom.

Author's Note: So that was a short chapter. Sorry about that. But I will redeem myself next chapter, the first one that will be completely set at the 12th precinct. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and please keep reading and reviewing. Thanks!


	7. All Together Now

Chapter 7: All Together Now

**Author's Note: I've decided to postpone the precinct chapter just a little bit more, in order to sort my ideas better. I promise next chapter will be all about cops. Thanks for reading and please review! **

The alarm clock rang on that morning a little before seven. The noise made both Kate and Rick wake up alarmed. It must've been ages since an actual alarm clock had woken them up. James usually did it.

"Now that's weird." Rick said, kicking the duvet cover off him.

"What?" Kate said, her voice sleepy. She turned her body around, burying her head on her pillow.

"James is still asleep." Rick answered, sliding his feet onto his flip flops and grabbing a robe from the dresser.

"What time is it?" Kate asked, now more alert.

"It's almost seven." He answered.

"Shit. I'm late." Kate exclaimed, annoyed. She'd asked Rick to set the alarm clock earlier a million times. She jumped off the bed and started putting an outfit together.

"Sorry. But did you hear me? James is sleeping full nights!" Rick said, cheerily.

"That's great. But I have to be on the precinct at nine, tops. It'll take at least an hour for me to get there and…" Kate said.

"Whoa Kate, calm down. You'll be there in time. I'll go upstairs to check on James and then I'll make you some coffee." He said, resting his body on the wall.

"Thanks."

Rick went up the stairs, and walked slowly towards the nursery. He felt the need to pinch himself when he couldn't hear anything from the hallway. James was usually a fairly agitated baby. Rick entered the nursery and saw the most adorable thing. Alexis was sitting on the glider, still in her pajamas, her red hair tied back on a messy bun. She was half-asleep, singing a soft song. James was cuddled up on her chest, just as sleepy as his sister.

"You got a fast car. But is it fast enough so we can fly away? We gotta make a decision. We leave tonight or live and die this way" Alexis sang, softly. She didn't notice Rick there, so she continued "I remember we were driving, driving in your car. The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk. City lights lay out before us. And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder. And I had a feeling that I belonged. And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone" She sang, this time a little slower. She caressed James' cheek, giving him a small smile.

"Pumpkin." Rick whispered, causing Alexis to startle. "It's just me."

"Hey dad." She said, smiling at him. James was finally asleep in Alexis' arms. "Why are you up so early?"

"I guess I could ask you the same thing." Rick said.

"I heard James, so I came." Alexis said.

"You could've just called me." He told her.

"I know… Oh, dad, he's getting so big." Alexis said, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Pumpkin, what's wrong?" Rick asked, noticing her watery eyes.

"I miss so much, dad." She said "Being away at Yale… I just miss so much." Tears were rolling freely through her face.

"Pumpkin, it's okay. You tried Columbia, it didn't work out. You come here every month, James loves you." He tried to make her feel better, but he knew it would be in vain.

"I wanna go to NYU, dad. I've researched, and I want to do it." Alexis said.

"Okay. If that's what you want, we'll have you transferred." Rick told her, giving her a sympathetic face.

"Can I move back home?" She asked.

"Of course, pumpkin. This is your house too." He answered.

"Thank you, dad. Now, I think you should go downstairs make Kate that coffee." Alexis said.

"How did you…"

Alexis held up a small walkie-talkie like thing. "Baby monitor."

"You little nosy. You could've heard us…"

"Ew, dad, go." Alexis wrinkled her face at him, and continued to rock the glider back and forth.

Rick went down the stairs more satisfied than ever. He missed Alexis so much, and it would be amazing to have her back. Also, one extra pair of hands to deal with James was no little deal. He poured the water inside the brewer and waited for the coffee to be ready. The smell was amazing, and Kate went inside the kitchen almost at the same time that the coffee got ready.

"Mmm. The coffee smells great." Kate said, pouring herself a cup.

"It does." Rick was leaning on the counter, with a coffee mug on his hand and a goofy smile on his face.

"What's going on?" Kate asked, knowing her husband well enough to know that he was never happy that early in the morning.

"Alexis is moving back in." He told her, suddenly remembering that he completely forgot to ask her if that was okay. That was her home too, and even though he knew she'd be okay with it, he felt a little guilty by not asking. "If you're okay with that, of course."

"Castle. I can't believe you thought you should ask me if Alexis could move back in. Of course I'm okay with it! That's great! It'll be great to have her around." Kate said, finishing her cup of coffee. "I gotta go now. Bye." Kate gave Rick a quick kiss and stormed out the door.

**Author's Note: Again, I'm sorry that this is not the precinct-set chapter I'd promised. I'll be uploading that one tomorrow, at the latest. I hope you enjoyed it despite the change, and please review! **


	8. How Do You Do It?

Chapter 8: How Do You Do It?

Kate heard Esposito call her name at the moment she stepped into the 12th precinct.

"Yo, Beckett!" Esposito yelled.

"Hi Espo, what do you got?" Kate asked, before setting her things on her desk.

"Body dropped, corner of 55th and Lex. We got uniforms in there, and Lanie's on her way.

"Okay, let's go!" Kate stopped for a second after realizing Ryan wasn't with them "Where's Ryan?"

"Had a problem at home, but he'll meet us there." Esposito answered.

…

"Hey, Lanie." Kate said, smiling at the short woman squatting next to the body "Whoa, that's a lot of blood." Kate exclaimed. The body was in a huge pool of fresh blood, the biggest Kate had ever seen.

"She was pregnant." Lanie paused. "Her baby was ripped off her body." Lanie seemed unusually hesitant.

"Oh lord. Do we know who she is?" Kate asked, avoiding making eye contact with anyone. Seeing a mom having her baby ripped off her body like that was hard for anyone, but for Kate, who was a new mom herself, was especially horrifying.

"Yes. Willow Pond, 25. Lives in the Upper West Side." Lanie said.

"Time of death?"

"I'd put it somewhere around six and eleven pm last night."

"Ok. Espo, check missing persons, and also any hospital who might have admitted a newborn yesterday or this morning. Have someone look for any next living kin. I wanna know what kind of psychopath would steal a baby."

…

"What is it Lanie? What did you find out?" Kate asked, walking towards Willow Pond's body.

"Well, I can officially put time of death somewhere between six and eight. Also, do you see those marks in here?" Lanie pointed to a large cut on the woman's abdomen. Kate nodded. "Those were made with a scalpel. She bled to death." Lanie covered Willow's body and stepped away. "That cut is no amateur one. The killer is probably a doctor or had some medical training."

"Shit." Kate cursed, walking out of the morgue. She'd had her share of tough cases, but this one was beyond anything she ever had to deal with.

….

"Beckett." Ryan said, from behind Kate's desk.

"Ryan, hey!"

"Hi. So, we got some new leads on the Pond case." Kevin dropped a large file on Kate's desk. "She was married twice before, so we got two ex-husbands."

"Was she married when she died?" Kate asked, surprised. She would be surprised to know that she was married once before at 25, but twice?

"Yes. Her husband, Jeremy Tackleberg, is on his way."

"Any other relatives?" Kate asked.

"Her mother, Yara Fields, lives in Florida. Last time she saw Willow, she was 5. Her father, Robert Pond, died a couple of years ago. She has a sister, Kathryn, but we couldn't reach her yet." Kevin answered.

"Okay, keep trying."

"Kate!" Rick yelled.

"Castle? What are you doing here?" Kate asked, puzzled "Who's watching James?"

"Alexis is. I thought I'd shadow you on the Pond case." Rick said.

"How do you know…?" Kate asked "Lanie."

"She called me to say that this case was getting into you. So I came to back you up." Rick answered, setting his coat and phone on her desk "So, what do we got?"

"Willow Pond, 25, was found dead in a corner." Kate answered "She was pregnant. The killer took her baby from inside her while she was still alive."

"God. Any witnesses?"

"Yes. A homeless man saw the whole thing. I'm interrogating him right now, wanna come?"

"Right behind you." Kate and Rick entered the interrogation room 3 and took their seats, facing the man. He had a long dark beard, and his smell hinted that he hadn't had a bath in almost a week.

"Trevor Heinz, also known as "The Watcher". You've been in prison quite a handful of times, haven't you, Mr. Heinz?" Kate asked.

"I prefer Watcher."

"Okay, Watcher, what did you see?"

"A man. About 6 feet tall. White hair." Trevor answered, his voice secure. "Looked like Bob Barker."

"From 'The Price Is Right?'" Rick asked, surprised.

"Who else?"

"Okay, watcher, did you see anything else?" Kate asked, scribbling Trevor's description on a writing pad.

"He went after her. He was angry. Yelling at her to 'give him what he was entitled to'" Trevor gestured a million things at the same time "He pulled her to the end of the street, and heard screams, and that was it."

"And it didn't occur to you to call the police?" Kate hissed.

"None of my business. Can I go now?" Trevor said, annoyed.

Rick nodded at him and the man and he walked out of the interrogation room.

…

"So here's what we got." Kate wrote a few things on the white board and turned around to see the small group of men. "Willow Pond, who was nine months pregnant, walks in the dark alongside a guy who looks like Bob Barker. Anything new?"

"I talked to the ex-husbands on the phone. First one, Garrett Ford, can't come in but it's willing to talk to someone on the phone instead." Kate directed a suspicious look at Kevin "He lives in Bucharest." Kevin explained. "Husband number two, Emmett Roberts, is on his way over."

"From?" Kate asked.

"Staten Island." Kevin answered.

"Beckett." Gates called from the end of the hallway. "Jeremy Tackleberg is waiting for you."

"Okay, thanks." Kate said, walking to the IE 2. "You coming Castle?"

"Yeah."

The two of them entered the room and saw Jeremy Tackleberg crying. He was a big man, strong looking, and was rather disturbing to see him cry.

"Hello, Mr. Tackleberg. I'm very sorry for your loss." Kate said, sitting on the chair on the other side of the iron table. "We need you to answer a couple of questions."

"Of course. Anything to help you catch the bastard." Jeremy said, his voice weary.

"Okay, how long were you and Ms. Pond married?"

"13 months. We just had our first anniversary." Rick gave him a compassionate smile.

"Is there anyone you think might have wanted to hurt her?"

"Willow wasn't the most sociable of people. She was friends with our neighbor, but that's all. She didn't have many friends, but she didn't socialize enough to make enemies, either. "

"I'm gonna need that neighbor's name."

"Harriett Dawson. She lives on the apartment next to ours."

"Thank you, Mr. Tackleberg. We'll call you if we need anything else." Jeremy nodded and left the room.

…

Kate was staring at the white board when Rick interrupted her.

"Look at that! A piano playing cat!" Rick said, showing Kate the video on his phone.

"Not now, Castle." Kate scolded, pushing his phone away.

"Just take a look, it's so cute!" He said, nearly shoving his phone on her face.

"Not now, Castle!" Kate shouted, a little louder than she intended to.

"Okay." Rick said, getting up from his chair. "I'm gonna go check if Lanie has something for us."

…

"Hi, Lanie." Rick said, entering the autopsy room. Lanie was leaning over Willow Pond's body, looking at some kind of wound.

"What do you want, Castle?" Lanie asked, rudely.

"Not a morning person, are you?"

"You're not helping it, either." Lanie said "Now cut the crap, Castle. What do you want? I'm fairly certain you didn't come to check if I have any news on the case."

"I came to talk about Kate."

"Ah. I should've seen that coming." Lanie mocked. "So, what's wrong?"

"That's what I want to know. She's been shutting me off recently, and I wanna know why."

"Castle, do you remember the old Kate?" The puzzled look on Rick's face was the only answer Lanie needed "She was fierce, independent, but most of all, she was focused. When there was a case, she wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't eat, and she wouldn't go home until it was closed. She can't do that anymore. You and James changed her, but old habits die hard. Sometimes, I see her looking at the white board for four hours straight, until she finally cracks the case. She used to love doing field work, but now she avoids it. For you. For James. I don't think she regrets that, but I know she misses going to locations and arresting people. And when you try to distract her from what she's doing, she has to keep herself to tell you to shut up, because she doesn't get enough chances to be the best anymore. "Lanie explained it, graciously.

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Try to understand it, okay?" Lanie asked, fast "Now, how's that godson of mine?"

"He's uh… great. Getting big and everything." Rick said, still trying to digest all the information Lanie had just thrown at him. "I got a picture, wanna see it?" Rick asked, pulling his phone off his pocket, and scrolling through his picture to find a new one of James. There were millions, ranging from James on Kate's arms, still at the hospital, to new ones of Alexis bathing James. He clicked the picture he wanted to show her. "Here's it. This one is especially for you." Rick showed Lanie the picture of James wearing the bodysuit that read 'My Auntie Rocks'.

"Smart boy." Lanie smiled "Whoa, he really has stunning eyes, doesn't he?"

"He does. They're Kate's though. Just as green as hers." Rick gushed, proud. They were often told how gorgeous James' eyes were.

"Maybe you two should go on a date tomorrow night. Give me a chance to watch my handsome godson for a while." Lanie offered.

"Yeah… that might be a good idea. You sure you can watch him tomorrow?"

"It'll be a pleasure. Talk to Kate and call me to say which time you want me to come by."

"Thanks Lanie, you were a big help."

"I always am, honey."

"Bye."

Rick left the autopsy room feeling a hundred pounds lighter. It was good to finally know the reason behind Kate's recent moodiness. Maybe he could help her, maybe he couldn't, but it was a relief to know that if she needed him, he'd be there to help her.

**Author's Note: So here's a long chapter to redeem myself. I hope you enjoy it, and please keep reading and reviewing! **


	9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry

**Chapter 9: I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)**

**Author's Note: I am very sorry it took me so long to update and I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again. I hope you are still reading! **

Rick answered the door, which revealed a gift-clad Lanie.

"Hey, Lanie." Rick said, giving the short woman a hug "James is gonna be spoiled tonight, isn't he?" Rick asked, even though he already knew the answer to that question. Every time Lanie babysat James, she brought a bunch of gifts and spoiled the little boy rotten.

"You bet your ass I will." Lanie answered, walking inside the loft. "Now where's the little cutie?" Lanie asked, throwing the packages and her purse on the couch.

"He's upstairs. Kate is changing his diaper." Rick told her.

"Lanie!" Kate said, enthusiastically. "Hey." Kate said. She was wearing a knee-length black dress, paired with red heels.

"Girl, you look great!" Lanie complimented. "How's our boy?"

"Good. He's clean, happy and well-behaved. You got him on a good day." Kate said, while grabbing her clutch from the kitchen counter. "I couldn't get him to eat, though, so you'll probably have to do it."

"No problem. Now, get outta here, you two. Go enjoy your evening." Lanie said.

"Thank you, Lanie." Rick said, receiving a nod in return. He opened the front door and waited for Kate to go through. "Bye."

…

"Where are we going?" Kate asked. They'd been driving for the past hour and she was getting antsy. They were still in the city, that much she knew, but nothing else. Not where they were going, not when they would be back. She hated not knowing things.

"Just wait, Kate. We're almost there." Rick answered. A few minutes later, he parked the car in front of a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

"Where are we?" Kate asked. There was nothing in sight. No restaurant, no people, no nothing. Just the little cabin. It was a beautiful night, the full moon bright in the sky. Rick stepped outside the car and opened the back door. Kate left the car as well, even though she wasn't sure she liked the idea of being in the middle of nowhere.

"We're here for our date." Rick said, smiling. He was now carrying a large canvas bag. He walked towards Kate and gave her a passionate kiss. "I thought we could use some alone time. Alone meaning isolated." He grabbed her hand and led her to the front door. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." She answered. "It's beautiful." She kissed his lips tenderly. "Shall we go in?"

"Yes. Let's go." Rick opened the door to let Kate in. Kate went inside and saw the most beautiful thing. The little cabin was simply furnished, with small hints of modern things.

"Wow. Where are we, Rick?" Kate asked again.

"We're at Michael's cabin."

"Michael as in our accountant?"

"Yeah. He and his wife bought this a few years ago." Rick answered. He was at inside the kitchen pulling some things out of the canvas bag. "You hungry?"

"Starving. What did you bring?" Kate sat on one of the bar stools next to the kitchen counter.

"Coq au Vin. To be paired with…" Rick took a bottle of red wine out of the bag and set it on the counter.

"Vin." Kate chuckled. Since James' birth, they hadn't had many opportunities to get away for an evening alone.

…

"That was amazing. Best chicken I ever had." Kate said, wiping her mouth.

"I'm glad you liked it." Rick smiled.

"I loved it." Kate got up from her chair to kiss him. Rick also got op, and after a few moments they were kissing passionately. Rick let her to the bedroom and they lied on the bed. Kate got out from her dress and tossed it on the ground.

…

"Wow." Kate said, catching her breath.

"Indeed." Rick answered, squeezing his arm around her.

"Yeah. Is that my phone?" Kate asked, suddenly hearing some kind of music playing.

"I don't…" Rick answered, trying to get Kate to stay in bed. She was already on the other side of the room, searching for her phone.

"Beckett. What? We're on our way." Kate's face went numb as she turned to face Rick.

"What's wrong, Kate?"

"Lanie called. James started to regurgitate blood so she took him to the hospital…" Tears started rolling down her face "Castle, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Rick jumped off the bed and dresses himself as fast as he could. In less than three minutes, they were in the car.

**Author's Note: That was a short one. I plan on updating again on Saturday, Sunday the latest. Please review! **


	10. I'll Cry Instead

**Author's Note: I suck. I'm sorry I'm almost a week late, but I've been short on inspiration. And then school started… Well, here it is. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

Chapter 10: I'll Cry Instead

"Lanie!" Kate yelled as soon as she entered the E.R. on the Lenox Hill Hospital. She spotted Lanie not a second later. She was sitting on one of the couches in the waiting section, rubbing her hands together furiously.

"Kate!" Lanie got up from the couch fast.

"Where is he? Do they know what's wrong?" Kate asked, tears forming on the side of her eye.

"They don't. He's stable now, and there is no sign of hemorrhage. He hasn't thrown up since we got here, so they can't examine that. He's asleep." Lanie said, doing her best to calm Kate down. "Where's Castle?"

"He's trying to park." Kate said, distracted. She just wanted to see her son. Hold him tight, and tell him everything is going to be alright. "Where's the doctor? Can I talk to him?"

"He said he would be back in a few minutes. I know the guy, we went to college together. He's good, Kate. He's the best." Lanie said.

"I need to see my son, now." Kate said nervously.

"I'll ask the nurse to call him." Lanie walked away slowly.

"Lanie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Kate walked over to the couch and sat down. The fact that her son, her baby boy, was now lying alone in a cold hospital room made her sick.

"Kate!" Rick yelled. "Kate!"

"Rick, I'm here!" Kate watched as Rick ran over to her.

"Where's he? How's he?" Rick asked. Kate embraced him tightly, realizing that he was even more nervous than she was. "Kate. How's James?"

"I only know he's stable and they don't know what's wrong with him. Lanie is talking to the doctor."

"What do we do?"

"I don't think we can do anything. Just sit here and hope for the best. And you should call Alexis. She deserves to know that her brother is at the hospital."

"I'll go outside and call her. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"'Kay."

"Kate, Dr. Yanovich needs to ask you a few questions." Lanie said, suddenly appearing next to Kate. A dark haired tall man as standing next to her, holding a few folders.

"Hello Mrs. Castle. I'm Doctor Robert Yanovich, I'm taking care of your son. Can you answer the questions?"

"Yes, of course. I'll answer anything. But my husband stays at home with him, so he might be able to answer your questions better than I will."

"Is he on his way?"

"He's just outside calling James' sister. He should be back in a second."

"Okay." A minute passed by before Rick appeared next to them.

"Rick, this is Doctor Yanovich. He's taking care of James."

"Hello. Richard Castle." Rick offered him a hand, which Doctor Yanovich shook.

"Good night. I need you to answer a few questions. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Mrs. Castle, are you breastfeeding?"

"On occasion. I work, so usually James takes my breast milk on a bottle."

"But you do breastfeed sometimes?"

"Whenever I can." Kate answered.

"Okay. Was he in contact with any sick people recently?"

"No." Rick and Kate answered, in unison.

"Okay, thank you. We need to run a few tests. It'll probably take an hour before we get the results."

"We'll be here." Rick said. "Thank you." Doctor Yanovich nodded and walked away.

…

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle?" A nurse called.

"Yes." Kate said. "We're here."

"Doctor Yanovich is waiting for you on room 13."

"Thanks."

…

"Excuse me. Doctor Yanovich?" Kate knocked on room 13's door softly. She entered the room slowly, with Rick following her closely behind.

"Mrs. Castle. I have some news."

"Good or bad?" Kate asked, apprehensive. She really didn't know what to expect.

"You get to decide that. I need to examine you."

"Me?"

"Your nipples, most specifically."

"What?" Rick asked, annoyed.

"I need to see if they're cracked. The blood might've gotten into James' system that way." Doctor Yanovich gave Rick a quick look "I can ask a female nurse to do it, if you like."

"I'd rather." Rick said, still annoyed.

"Okay."

"Can we see him before that?" Kate asked. She was not exactly happy with Rick's little jealousy attack, but she needed to see James.

"The exam will take about a minute. You can see him right after that."

"Okay."

…

"You can put your shirt back on now." The nurse, Janet, told Kate. The exam really took only a minute, and Kate was glad it was over.

"Thanks. Can I see my son now?"

"Yeah. Your husband is waiting outside." Kate opened the door and saw Castle standing.

"Let's go see him."

…

"Hey, baby boy." Kate said, placing her hand on James' stomach. The sight of her son lying in a hospital crib made her want to cry. But she couldn't. "Mommy is here now. Daddy is here too, see? We're all here. You're going to be alright, little man." Tears started rolling freely through Kate's cheeks. James was staring at her, his face puffy. He started crying as well, making Kate's heart ache. "Hey, Jamie. Don't cry, don't cry." Rick held the little boy's hand on the other side of the crib. He wanted to make him feel better. He wanted to make Kate feel better. But he felt terrible himself, and was fighting back tears.

"What about we sing you a song?" Rick dried James' tears. "Out here on the fields…" Rick gave Kate a look, as if asking her to join him

"I fight for my meals…" Kate sang, her voice still shaky.

"I get back into my living." They both sang this time, a little louder. "I don't need to fight. To prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiving." Kate held Rick's other hand, and continued to sing. "Don't cry. Don't raise your eye. It's only teenage wasteland."

"Excuse me." Doctor Yanovich said. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have the prognosis." Kate's heartbeat quickened and she squeezed Rick's hand.

"What is it?" Rick asked.

"Mrs. Castle, you have cracked nipples."

"What does that mean?" Kate asked.

"That means little James here is a little hard at suckling and that made your nipples bleed. He ingested the blood. Therefore, he threw up blood. He drank blood."

"What do we do?"

"I'll give you some nipple cream, and it should be fine. James is fine. You can take him home now."

"Thank you, Doctor Yanovich. Thank you so much." Kate said.

"Yes, thank you." Rick said. Doctor Yanovich nodded and left the room. Kate and Rick exchanged a quick look, and Kate shouted:

"Sally, take my hand. Travel south crossland. Put out the fire. Don't look past my shoulder." Rick joined her only a moment later.

"The exodus is here. The happy ones are near. Let's get together. Before we get much older. Teenage wasteland. It's only a teenage wasteland. Teenage wasteland. Oh, oh. Teenage wasteland. They're all wasted!"

**Author's Note: A long one. What a rarity that seems to be. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review! Oh, and just a reminder, tomorrow we'll get to see the first season 5 promo! **


	11. Baby's In Black

**Author's Note: This chapter is going to be a VERY messy one. I've been meaning to write it for long, but the right idea just wouldn't pop into my mind. After last chapter, I've been seriously blocked. Speaking of it, I realized some readers weren't completely familiar with the whole cracked nipple situation. It is rare, but it does happen and many articles have been written about it. In case you're interested, the first few sites that show up on the Google search have more information.** **Enjoy!**

_Chapter 11: Baby's in Black_

Kate and Rick slept on James' nursery on that night. Cuddled on his glider, they watched as their little boy slept soundly. James was so young, and had undergone so much. Kate had spent the entire night looking at her son. She would startle at every stir, and her eyes widened every time the little boy made a noise.

"Rick. Rick." Kate said, squeezing his arm. She could see through the window that the sun had already risen.

"Mmm." He murmured, confused.

"Castle!" She said, louder.

"What?" Rick was now officially awake.

"It's past nine. I have to be at the precinct in half an hour." Kate said, already on her feet.

"I'm going to make you something to eat." Rick took one more look inside James' crib before finally heading towards the door.

…

"Beckett, Garrett Ford is on the phone." A young officer told Kate, who was sitting at her desk writing a report. Rick had decided to stay at home with James for a couple more days before going back to the 12th.

"Uhm, who?" Kate asked, quizzed.

"Vic's ex-husband." Kevin answered from the other side of the room.

"Oh. Okay." Kate walked into Gates' office and picked up the phone. "This is detective Kate Beckett." The captain gestured to a chair, in which Kate sat only a second later "Yes. I just need to ask you a few questions. Mhm. Okay. You were married to Ms. Pond back in 2008, is that correct? Okay. Mr. Ford, would you happen to know why Ms. Pond decided to terminate your marriage?" Kate knew for a fact that Willow was the one who filed for the divorce. She cited 'irreconcilable differences' but she also knew that was standard, not being necessarily the true reason. "What? Okay, thank you Mr. Ford. We'll keep you posted."

"What? What did he say?" Gates asked, noticing Kate's sudden change of humor.

"He said she got depressed." Gates gave Kate a puzzled look "After they lost their first child, right after his birth."

"Wow. That woman might be the unluckiest of all mothers."

"I guess."

…

"Beckett, we talked to Jenna Williams, our vic's therapist." Esposito said, setting a pile of papers onto Kate's desk.

"Did Willow talk to her about the loss of her child?"

"Yes. But she also said it was Emmett Roberts' child, not Garrett's."

"What? Are you saying she lost one child after another?"

"Yes. But Dr. Williams also told me that Willow wasn't the average patient. She said Willow didn't seem sad or hurt. Or personally victimized. Nor she felt guilty. Dr. Williams said she always said that they were in a better place." Kate sighed. That was one of the hardest cases yet, and she had no idea of what was happening. They had no suspects, no leads, no nothing. It was a dead end.

"Let's call it a day, Espo." Kate said, after glancing at her clock and realizing it was almost 10pm.

"Good night, boss." Kate nodded at him, walking out of the precinct. As she headed to her car, a million thoughts raced through her mind. She was completely out of theories. She had to go to the one person she knew never ran out of theories. Castle.

…

"Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name. Is this the sweet sound? That calls the young sailors. The voice might be one and the same. I've heard it too many times to ignore it. It's something that I'm supposed to be. Someday we'll find it. The rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me" Rick sang, rocking James softly in his arms. He looked at the door when he heard the familiar sound of someone unlocking it.

"Hey." Kate said, tossing her purse on the floor and kicking her shoes off.

"Hi." Rick gave her a quick kiss. Kate planted a kiss on James' forehead before going inside the kitchen.

"Can you look at the case we're trying to crack? We're not going anywhere and I thought your crazy theories might help." Rick smiled at her.

"Don't they always?" He patted James' back. "Sure, just leave it on the nightstand. I'll take a look at it when I come down."

"Why don't you take a look now? I'll put James to bed." Kate reached for the little boy, cradling him on her arms.

"Okay." Rick took the folder from her purse and sat on the couch to read it.

…

It was well past midnight when Rick entered the dark room. Kate was asleep and the only light he could see was the one coming from the hallway.

"Kate." He said, stroking her hair.

"What?" Kate answered, alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. But I have a theory for you." He said, sitting next to her on their bed.

"Now?" She asked, annoyed.

"It's better if it is." She nodded and he proceeded. "Have you thought about the baby black market?"

"What?" Kate asked. She was now sitting next to Rick.

"Think about it. She lost three babies, all right after their birth. She didn't seem sad, or guilty."

"Castle, come on! If we were really talking about her selling her kids, why would she end up dead in an alley? That would risk the baby's life, and wouldn't they lose 'merchandise' that way?"

"A baby can cost up to two hundred thousand dollars in the black market. What if someone stole her baby in order to sell it?"

"But wouldn't she receive the payment? I mean, she did it before, she would know how it works."

"Yes, but what if this time, she actually wanted to keep the child? She probably wasn't working alone. She must've had associated with some kind of agency. What if she decided to keep the baby and they decided they wouldn't lose their share of the money?"

"Oh crap."

**Author's Note: Dun, dun, dun. What did you think? I might re-write that whole chapter later, for purely esthetic reasons. But, for now, I offer you this one and I hope you liked it. Review, please? **


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